Newspaper Page Text

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SPORTS
7B
THURSDAY
July 1,1993
Program's Aim Is Real Scholar-Athletes
By Herbert L. White
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Charlotte-Mecklenburg
athletes can be as good In
class as on the field with a
new academic program.
Gladwyn Teague, program
manager for Project 4.0, says
high school athletes who
may flunk Charlotte-
Mecklenburg’s 2.0 grade-
point requirements next
year can Improve their
chances in the tutoring pro
gram.
"It's geared to at-risk ath
letes," he said.
The 2.0 requirement, which
goes into effect in the 1993-
94 school year, was attacked
by some coaches who said it
would discriminate against
black students, especially In
the revenue-producing foot
ball and basketball pro
grams. Project 4.0 alms to
help at-risk students get
"A lot of our students feel education isn't for
them. But if we could get athletes to buy into it,
then maybe it, then maybe it would start a
trickle-down effect."
Project 4.0 program manager Gladwyn Teague
their priorities in order: im- "A lot of our students feel
proving their grades while education isn't for them,"
keeping them eligible for Teague said. "But if we could
sports get athletes to buy into it.
All-
America
Football
Camp
FROM NEWS SERVICES
Former National Football
League players and local
high school and college
coaches will help inner city
youth win the bluest game of
their lives while learning a
little football July 19-23 at
the all-American Football
Camp at Memorial Stadium.
Founded by former New
York Jets running back and
Charlotte native Tim New
man, the All-American
Football Camp is a football
skills camp with a goal that
goes far beyond teaching
young boys how to run,
block, catch and pass.
"Our focus is toward lower-
mcome kids who come from
one-parent families and
drug-infested communities.
In the black community to
day, many boys are coming
up without a father. They
need a male figure, other
than a drug pusher, to be a
role model. As athletes, we
have the respect of these
kids; they look up to us. As
counselors at the camp, our
goal is to be role models and
to show the kids they can be
successful by working hard
and staying In school and
out of trouble," says New
man, a graduate of 01)mipic
High School and Johnson C.
Smith. Guest speakers for
the camp will discuss HIV/
AIDS awareness, drug pre
vention, staying in school,
good study habits, manners,
and peer pressure.
Counselors include college
and high school coached,
such as Jim Seacord of Prov
idence High School; Delano
Little, WBTV sportscaster;
and former NFL players such
as A1 Pearman of the Balti
more Colts, Mike Slani of
the Oakland Raiders, and
Steve Rankin of the Phila
delphia Eagles.
There will also be an
Awards Banquet on July 23
at 7 p.m.
More than 40 youths will
attend the camp free of
charge with transportation
and lunch Included thanks
to the support from individu
als and local businesses.
'We operate solely through
the generosity of the Char
lotte community, says New
man. "Churches are provid
ing vans to transport the
kids. Charlotte Sports has
donated 20 footballs and
Charlotte-Mecklenburg
School Nutrition is provid
ing food for the week."
From his days growing up
in Charlotte's inner city,
Newman knows the value of
a week at a football camp.
"My life changed the day I
heard former Helsman Tro
phy winner Archie Griffin
speak at a football camp. I
wanted to be Archie Griffin. I
wanted to win the Heisman
Trophy, and to do that, I
knew I had to go to college.
For more information
about the All-American
Football Camp, call Tim
Newman at 573-1585.
Go Deep
Charlotte Rage wide receiver Ryan Bethea, in his first game with the Rage since leavh^ the
CffnnHinn Football League, goes deep for a pass in the Rage's loss last week to the Orlando
Predators in an Arena Football game at the Charlotte Coliseum. The Rage has lost four in a
row heading into Friday's game at Cleveland.
Athletes Can ReaUy Go To The
Bank With Securities Program
By Herbert L. White
THE CHARLOTTE POST
James Trapp and Wayne
Simmons are going to make
a lot of money m the NFL.
And a Charlotte bank is
looking to help them put it in
a nice, safe place.
NationsBank has a pro
gram to help professional
athletes and entertainers in
vest their earnings, which
the company officially in
troduced last week. The Pro
fessional Sports and Enter
tainment Group is designed
to help people like Trapp, a
rookie defensive back with
the Los Angeles Raiders, and
Simmons, a linebacker with
the Green Bay Packers, In
vest their earnings wisely.
"Traditionally, athletes
have been bombed when they
get out," Trapp said. "I know
when I get out. I'll have some
money."
The program will be headed
by Mike Sianl, a former Oak
land Raiders and Baltimore
Colts player. In his 10-year
NFL career, he saw too many
examples of what Trapp and
Simmons are trying to
avoid.
"One of the saddest things
I've seen is seeing former
players leaving the game
with nothing to show for it
except bruised and battered
bodies," Siani said. "One of
the thmgs we're trying to do
with our clients is to make
sure it doesn't happen."
Working with Slani are a
couple of former athletes
who are now financial man
agers: Earl Layne and Da
nielle Lares. The bank cur
rently has consumer
banking relationships with
257 professional athletes,
which includes 92 football
players. Ultimately, the
bank wants to represent the
then maybe it would start a
trickle-down effect."
Teague said 30 vol
unteers have al
ready signed up as
tutors and area
businesses and
colleges have
pledged their sup
port with tutors.
Sessions will be
held across the coun
ty and students will be
required to keep track of
their progress. Project 4.0,
which was
school
warm
started last
year to luke-
response.
should have a better
reception during
the fall sports sea
son.
"Last semester,
we put it out to stu
dent-athletes. It
didn't get the re
sponse we wanted but
we hope to have a greater
impact," Teague said.
BASKETBALL
Charlotte Pro-Am
PHOTO/JABIES BROWN
Scott Adams swats of Fox 18 away Cleveland McCrae's shot
during Pro-Am action last week at Queens.
pro-college division
Radiator Specialty
Pepsi
Philip Morris
Fox 18
A1 Mattison-State Farm
NationsBank
Sandwich Construction
Bealer Bud Li^t
3
3
2
2
1
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
2
2
3
3
June 26 results:
• NationsBank 108 Bealer Bud Light: Bershaun Thompson 31
points and Walter Aikens 24 points for NationsBank.
• Radiator Specialty 92 Philip Morris 86: Byron Dinkins had
17 pomts and 7 assists and Dante Johnson added 19 points
and 12 rebounds.
• Pepsi 94 Fox 18 91: Henry Williams had 23 points and Jarvis
Lang had 21 points for the winners.
• A1 Mattison State Farm 93 Sandwich Construction 76: Ray
mond Lawson and Steve Rooks combined for 44 points.
June 27 results:
• Radiator Specialty 99 Sandwich Construction 95: Dante
Johnson led Radiator Specialty with 26 points and 16 re
bounds. Byron Dinkins added 24 points and 6 assists.
• Fox 18 96 Bealer Bud Light 87: Scott Adams led Fox 18 with
10 rebounds and 2 blocks and Delano Johnson had 21 points.
• Philip Morris 89 NationsBank 76: Four players had four or
more rebounds, led by Jermaine Parker's 8.
• Pepsi 87 Mattison State Farm: Henry Williams had 24 points
See PRO-AM On Page SB
top draft choices in the NFL
and NBA, although the door
will be open to established
athletes in other sports as
well. There are about 3,500
athletes in major league
football, baseball, basket
ball and hockey.
"I don't know. I don't think
it would be too ambitious to
say half of them (as new cus
tomers)," Sianl said.
NationsBank isn't going
into player representation,
Siani said. What the bank is
trying to do is serve athletes
with investments and long
term money management.
'We're in the business of
managing other people's
money," said NationsBank
CEO Hugh McColl. 'We like to
think we have a track record.
People trust us."
Siam said the program
isn't like the much-
ballyhooed Nike manage-
See PLAYERS On Page SB
PHOTO /HERBERT L. WHITE
James Trapp and Wajme Simmons help NationsBank CEO
Hugh McColl some football gear at a press conference.